Monday, April 29, 2013

Making Progress on Rural Broadband

The
importance of rural broadband access and wireless coverage is a timely issue –
not only in America’s heartland, but also in our nation’s capital.
Stories from rural areas about improved access, applications, and other uses
are popping up. Meanwhile, the Senate Communications Subcommittee used
its first hearing of the new Congress to address
the State of Rural Communications, and data in the
FCC’s recently released wireless competition report shows that voice
and broadband access in rural areas is on the rise.

There have
been many reports, like this piece in Iowa Farmer Today, that demonstrate growth in
the use of smartphones and wireless broadband in rural communities, especially
by farmers and ranchers. The piece states that apps are becoming “an increasing part of farming operations, for
crops and livestock.” And it’s no wonder. A simple read through some of the apps that are being
developed and it’s easy to understand their enormous utility for American
farmers and ranchers. From
apps that help to effectively manage pests and plant
pathogens, to apps that
help with energy
efficiency by tracking fuel usage, the possibilities are almost endless.

Farmers and
ranchers aren’t the only ones in rural communities who benefit from wireless
devices and wireless broadband. Wireless products and technologies also
allow Americans in rural communities to have greater access to healthcare
through telemedicine, greater access to educational opportunities through
online courses, and greater opportunities to grow their businesses through
e-commerce. Those are just naming a few.

However, the
benefits of apps and wireless broadband can only be realized by those who have
access to them. Fortunately, the FCC’s wireless competition report shows that
access is continuing to improve. According to the report, which was
released in late March, “97 percent of the U.S. rural population has coverage
by at least one mobile wireless broadband provider, up from 92 percent in
November 2009.”

One program
in particular is interesting in that it showcases how the largest carrier is
working with rural carriers to bring LTE to rural communities. This is
Verizon Wireless’ LTE in Rural America program. As of March, VZW was working
with 21 carriers in an effort to cover about 2.8 million people in 14
states. Between VZW’s LTE equipment and 700 MHz spectrum, and the rural
carriers tower and backhaul assets, the partnerships are helping rural carriers
to build and operate their own LTE networks – 7 of which have already launched.

While there is
still work to be done to ensure that all Americans in rural communities have access to mobile broadband, the outlook is positive.
Broadband providers are stepping up with creative ways to serve unserved
communities, and those communities are utilizing that service to adopt new, innovative applications tailored to their lives. It's no wonder the issue has drawn
the attention of Congress.